Friday, March 29

Spain protests against Türkiye for the retention and expulsion of three deputies during the elections

The Spanish embassy in Turkey has sent “a verbal note protesting the retention and expulsion” of ten Spaniards, including three deputies, who were part of a delegation accompanying the pro-Kurdish HDP party during election day, according to sources diplomatic to elDiario.es and Europa Press has advanced.

From the moment the detention was reported, the Spanish embassy was in permanent contact with the detainees and with the Turkish authorities to expedite their release. The Spanish delegation was in custody the entire night of election day in the city of Siirt and was finally escorted to the airport at six in the morning and expelled from the country.

Among those detained were deputies Jon Iñarritu (EH Bildu), Ismael Cortés (Podemos) and Isa Chacón (CUP), as well as an ERC senator. “It is unacceptable that our colleagues spent the night at the police station without any explanation, under threats and vetoing their entry into Turkey simply for visiting the country and accompanying them during election day,” denounced the International Secretariat of Podemos.

To fend off possible banning in the multiple court cases besetting the HDP, the party decided to run for Parliament under the banner of the Green Left Party. In the presidential elections, in order not to divide the vote, the formation supported the opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The HDP often organizes this type of international delegation to denounce their situation and the repression of the Turkish government.

“The pressure of the State against the HDP has been enormous and the retention of the Spanish delegation is an example and witness of that pressure,” party sources told elDiario.es. “There are no democratic conditions in Kurdistan. Despite police pressure and electoral fraud, we have been successful in all Kurdish cities as the first party,” they add.

“We have entered the elections in quite difficult conditions. Most of our mayors have been systematically arrested, many of our militants are in jail, co-chairs of our party are also in prison.”

Ione Belarra, general secretary of Podemos and minister of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 also referred to the matter. “My solidarity with all those invited to accompany the elections in Turkey, including a deputy and a representative of Podemos, detained without reason. An expression of the repression, the lack of transparency and guarantees that affects the country and especially the Kurdish people”.





www.eldiario.es